Gearhart Mountain Wilderness — a wilderness area in Lake County, Oregon — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 56 km (35 mi) NW of Lakeview.
Gearhart Mountain Wilderness is a wilderness area located within the Fremont–Winema National Forest in Lake and Klamath counties in south-central Oregon. This area was established in 1943 as a Wild Area and designated as wilderness with the Wilderness Act of 1964. In 1984, an additional 4,144 acres (1,677 ha) were added for a total of 22,823 acres (9,236 ha). The wilderness is entirely within the Bly Ranger District. Gearhart Mountain was named for James P. Gearhart and William H. Gearhart, two brothers who raised and traded cattle in the area from about 1873 to 1882.From the Wikipedia article “Gearhart Mountain Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Gearhart Mountain Wilderness the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (WNW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 71° in summer but only 24° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:07 AM | 90° E | 7:16 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:27 AM | 57° ENE | 8:45 PM | 304° WNW | 71° | 15h 18m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:52 AM | 89° E | 7:02 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:31 AM | 122° ESE | 4:34 PM | 238° WSW | 24° | 9h 03m |
Azimuth is measured clockwise from true north (90° = east, 270° = west). Computed for 2026; values change by less than a degree from year to year.
Golden hour & blue hour by month
Wilderness areas reward those who camp: being on location at sunrise and in the dark is the main advantage over day visitors.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:00 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:15 AM | 4:12 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:27 PM | 9h 25m |
| February | 6:32 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:41 AM | 4:56 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 35m |
| March | 6:48 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:53 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:38 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:54 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:15 PM | 13h 22m |
| May | 5:10 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:51 PM | 14h 37m |
| June | 4:51 AM | 5:26 AM | 6:09 AM | 8:00 PM | 8:43 PM | 9:18 PM | 15h 17m |
| July | 5:06 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:58 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:14 PM | 15h 00m |
| August | 5:41 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:37 PM | 13h 55m |
| September | 6:16 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:21 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:43 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 6:49 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:55 AM | 5:44 PM | 6:23 PM | 6:51 PM | 11h 06m |
| November | 6:25 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:38 AM | 4:00 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:13 PM | 9h 47m |
| December | 6:55 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:13 AM | 3:46 PM | 4:32 PM | 5:04 PM | 9h 05m |
Local time (America/Los Angeles), including daylight saving time. Golden hour runs from about −4° to +6° solar altitude, so the morning golden hour begins during blue hour, before sunrise.
Milky Way & night sky
From Gearhart Mountain Wilderness, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 19° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 1 (excellent dark-sky site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:44 AM – 5:34 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:37 AM – 4:37 AM | 2.0 | 18° | SE → S |
| May | 12:47 AM – 3:37 AM | 2.8 | 19° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:58 PM – 3:08 AM | 4.2 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:46 PM – 1:46 AM | 3.0 | 19° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:54 PM – 11:44 PM | 1.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:50 PM – 9:40 PM | 0.8 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -19° | — |
Window when the galactic core is at least 10° high during astronomical darkness on the 15th of each month. Pick nights within a few days of the new moon. Plan exact nights with the Milky Way planner.
Estimated sky darkness: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.93 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 22% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (68%). July is the warmest month and December the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.
Average cloud cover (%)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 60 | 60 | 71 | 77 | 88 | 96 | 102 | 97 | 94 | 86 | 70 | 54 |
| Low °F | -14 | -5 | 6 | 14 | 20 | 27 | 37 | 35 | 26 | 16 | -1 | -11 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.9 | 1.9 | 2.0 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.6 | 1.1 | 1.9 | 2.9 |
Monthly climatology for the surrounding 1° grid cell from NASA POWER (MERRA-2). Mountain sites can be colder and cloudier than the cell average.
Photography tips for this wilderness area
- Motorized and mechanized equipment, including drones, is prohibited in designated wilderness.
- Group size limits and permits may apply; check with the managing agency.
- Practice Leave No Trace — camp on durable surfaces away from lakes and streams.
- Pack weight matters: a single zoom and a light tripod cover most situations.
- Night skies are often among the darkest in the country.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
Season: Most high wilderness is snow-free from July to September; lower deserts are best in spring and autumn.
Suggested gear: Lightweight tripod, Spare batteries, Headlamp, Navigation. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
Drones: Drones may not take off from or land in federally designated wilderness, where mechanized equipment is prohibited under the Wilderness Act.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 40 km of Gearhart Mountain Wilderness, closest first.
Hot Spring
National Forest
Hot Spring
Lake
CaveCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Bald Butte Lookout (Fremont-Winema National Forest, Or)12.8 km (7.9 mi) · reservable
- Currier Guard Station22 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Marsters Spring Campground24 km (15 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Gearhart Mountain Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Gearhart Mountain Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Gearhart Mountain Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Gearhart Mountain Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Gearhart Mountain Wilderness?
How far is Gearhart Mountain Wilderness from Lakeview?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, Wikipedia. Sun, moon and Milky Way times are computed by LWPhoto Atlas for 2026. Climate: NASA POWER. Sky darkness is a population-based estimate (Walker's law), not a measurement. See data sources & licenses.